


what am I to make of these contradictions?

by arya_B



Series: Helsa Week [2]
Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corporate, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Guilt, Trust Issues, Unrequited Love, betrayal of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-05 01:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6684718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arya_B/pseuds/arya_B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna couldn’t have actually expected that he would work with her, not when Elsa had just beginning to look for partnership to expand Arendelle’s entertainment branch, their most lucrative one, and that was exactly what he needed, for his share of his family business to thrive. Not when Elsa was preferable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what am I to make of these contradictions?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this forever ago for a Helsa Week. It was posted on tumblr, but now it's time it come here. None of the fics in this series are related to the others.

Hans was behind her, clasping her pearl necklace.

“You’ll do great” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.

“I will, won’t I?” she replied, sounding confident, though her hands were fidgeting with nervousness Elsa knew he would notice. And, as expected, he grabbed them between his own.

“Yes, you will.” he assured, planting kisses at the nape of her neck. “They’re gonna love you. And I’m gonna be there the whole time.”

She stared at him through the mirror until he looked up and her eyes met hers.

“Not that you care.” she said dryly

He let go of her hands and sighed

“C’mon Elsa” he pushed himself away from her and lowered his head “Don’t go there again.”

“What? I’m being honest. Wasn’t that our agreement?”

He held her waist and spinned her until Elsa was facing him.

“And I’m being honest.” he said, his eyes bored into hers.

“No. You’re not.” he opened his mouth to talk, but Elsa cut him “In honesty, you wish you could be Kristoff. With Anna. Having a laugh and a good time and skiing in Switzerland. But you _have_ to be with me, right? Best for business, both mine as yours. And business comes first. As we always said.”

He hesitated and that’s all the confirmation she needed. Without looking at her, he starts talking.

“I didn’t rather be with Anna, I’ve always…”

“In the bigger picture, I’m just… preferable. That’s the word you used, wasn’t it?”

“That was over an year ago, when will you hear me? Things have changed…”

“Yes, you said it a hundred times. Things have changed, things are _complicated_ now. I’ll hear you when you stop lying to me. Things are not complicated. Everything is as simples as it always were. We’re just fucking now.”

Elsa looked at him, daring him to deny her words.

And Hans would always take a dare.

“I’ll keep lying then, if that’s what you think I’m saying. Lying until it becomes truth to you, as it is to me. I don’t _need_ to be with you. I _want_  to.”

Soon she couldn’t take his stare anymore. She turned his back at him and pretended to check her speech again.

“It’s fine, Hans. I’m cool with our arrangement. Stop trying to fool me. You know I won’t fall for it.”

Anna had, but everything was always simpler with Anna. Easily put aside, for things like Kristoff and snowed mountains and philanthropy.

She was reaching the door when he hugged her from behind.

“Elsa,” his voice hoarse, desperate “Please.”

It sent shivers down her spine, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t afford believing him.Elsa had a real job to get done.

“Please what?” she whispered.

“I-I…” whatever it was, it died on his lips. Elsa wondered if he would say he loved her. If he would dare to.

Disrespect her like that.

Probably not.

 

                                                                                                        –

 

Love was what he had said to Anna, before explaining to her that she was going to fast, that some people give more meaning to words then they should to, that she couldn’t have actually expected that he would work with her on her, speaking frankly, her  _school project_ , not when Elsa had just beginning to look for partnership to expand Arendelle’s entertainment branch, their most lucrative one, and that was exactly what he needed, for _his_ share of his family business to thrive. Not when Elsa was _preferable_.

It broke Anna’s heart and Elsa had hated him.

But it worked. The whole thing. Working with him had been the best thing that had happened to Arendelle in years.

“Business first” he’d said and Elsa had agreed, toasting their drinks after their first successful contract.

Anna was okay with it. Maybe she had give it more meaning than she should have. Elsa and her were okay. She was lying at Hans. Anna came before business.

But soon Anna had Kristoff. And Elsa and Hans had hours and hours of late night work alone on her office.

They knew where this was heading.

See, it was simple.

 

                                                                                                         –

 

If he said it, it would break them. Their deal was honesty, and he had been lying enough to her for quite a while now. Love would’ve been just too much.

“Please” he said, again.

Elsa turned to him, pressing her forehead against his. Breathing him in.

“You should stop talking.”

She managed to get to the door now, just as she was being announced.

“It’s best for business if you do”


End file.
